Planning to take a ship to Andaman? Read our detailed destination guide to know timelines, cost and what to expect on the way.

The exotic Andaman Islands nestled in the southern tip of India is a great vacation spot any time of the year. The island paradise is home to historic sites, white sand beaches, lush rain forests and amazing water adventures. While planning an

Andaman trip in itself is an adventure, taking a ship to Andaman will take it on a whole new level all together. Here is all the information you need if you plan to take the sea route to reach Andaman.

Getting started

There are three ports in India from where you can sail to Andaman – Kolkata, Chennai and Vishakapatnam / Vizag. Each comes with different time durations. If you are not a resident of these cities then you’ll need to factor in costs for getting here. You may also need to factor in costs for a minimum of 2 days stay in the city depending on your ship’s schedule.

There are five ships operating between the main land of India and the island.

Ship tickets to Andaman are available on a first come first serve basis. There is one sailing from each port every week (may differ for Vizag). Most ticket bookings open a month in advance. You can either personally visit the port office in the cities from where you plan your journey or take the help of an expert tour operator who can purchase it for you at a great rate and right time. You’ll need two passport size photos, photo id proof, address proof, a full advance payment and the entry form duly filled out for submission.

For booking ship tickets from Kolkata to Port Blair: Visit the office of the Shipping Corporation of India at Shipping Hosue,#13, Strand Road, Kolkata-17. You can also reach them via phone on (033)284456

For booking ship tickets from Vishakapatnam to Port Blair: Booking of both cargo and passengers is done by an agent of the Shipping Corp M/S A.V. Bhanoji Rao Garuda Pattabiramaiah & Co. Ltd. At the private ticketing counter. You can visit them at Posr Boz no-17, Visakapatnam

For booking ship tickets from Chennai to Port Blair: There are two locations in Chennai for ship ticket bookings depending on the ship you plan to take.

For MV NICOBAR, MV AKBAR and MV HARSHAVARDHANA go to the office of the Shipping Corporation of India(SCI) situated at Madras(chennai) Port Trust,Rajaji Salai, Opposite Customs Office, Chennai-1. You can also reach them on phone at (044)5231401

Sea sickness and the ship journey

Although it may not sound like much to someone suffering from sea sickness, the intensity of the problem varies according to the time of the year you are travelling.